Callus

I remember its birthday.
OK, not the day it was born,
but the year.

It was the Why Are You Fat,
Why Are You Strange,
Why Aren’t You Pretty,
You Can’t Sit With Us Year.

It got bigger every year,
until I could paint a face on it
with a big, red rubber nose
and a wide grin.
It was magic, you see.
It had power to bend laughter.

It grew even bigger after that,
and thicker, like redwood rings,
but,

if you know the right words,
maybe arrive in an enchanted whirlwind,
or conjure up the perfect enlightening glow,

you might find a small knot in the bark.
I might be so startled you found it
that I'd invite you in,
where you'll sit down,
and have a cup of tea with me,
maybe.


This poem was created from a prompt given over at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads Little Tiny, write a poem inspired by the song Little Tiny. 


27 comments:

  1. Nice! The start of this had me all UGH UGH but then I got to HAPPY SIGH. Guess that's how we hope for it to go :)

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  2. Acceptance... I like how this evolves and the beginning is clever.

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  3. Replies
    1. The song was a wonderful inspiration for the feel of this piece.

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  4. luv the realizing and evolving process, Nice

    much love...

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  5. You got the power babe... and the writing talent, and yes, a little soy-milk in my tea thanks for asking ;)

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    Replies
    1. I take a splash of that too with a good strong chai.

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  6. Love that cup of tea at the end. A great read!

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  7. I like what you've done. Especially the whole second stanza full of titles. Making friends with it? Embracing it, or growing callous as your title suggests? Any which way works

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    Replies
    1. We all have to decide the way that's best for us.

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  8. "It had power to bend laughter." This line, as you might suspect, make me think of tattooed heads and funny monks. The poem as a whole left me wanting to know everything, in detail...

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  9. This poem, for me, really speaks to how individuals can become all bent out of shape by the expectations of those around them. And how the revelation, when and if it comes, is so awe-inspiring: It's perfectly normal to be different.

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    Replies
    1. Expectations can warp a soul into a very unnatural shape. One can only hope that once their is the realization of confinement, one can try to grow in a way more true to their souls.

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  10. There is so much to love about this.. growing up is always painful, and it has to do with that process of being a square peg in a round hole and be proud of it...

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  11. Never knew this world till now. Thank you for this light

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  12. My writers callus has shrunk since I started using a computer years ago

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